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Rating:  - THANK GOD AMERICANS CAN BE DIFFERENT!
THIS MOVIE ON A YOUNG GUY WHO TOOK THE CHANCE OF THINKING AND BEHAVING DIFFERENTLY(IN TERMS OF WHAT ONE WOULD EXPECT FROM HIS BACKGROUND) AND ACCORDING TO HIS IDEAS IS MANGIFICENTLY WELL ACTED AND PRODUCED. I HOPE SOME AMERICANS WILL TAKE INSPIRATION ON THIS MOVIE.
Rating:  - Well made movie, a little disappointing
I know I'm not supposed to review a movie based on how it's been adapted from the book, but it was a little disappointing.
The book focuses on how Alex(Chris) touched and affected people around him, which left a big impression on me. Their stories are heartbreaking.
On the other hand the movie focuses on Chris himself (which is an understandable decision as the movie runs for only so long). The trouble is I'm still not able to understand him any better.
Rating:  - A fine adaptation--with weaknesses--of a superb book
Just about the time Sean Penn was reading the book "Into the Wild," so was I. The book reminded me, first, of a good friend whom I've known since the mid-1960s. He's always fancied himself as somewhat of a wild man. He barely made it through high school, lived a kind of offbeat lifestyle for a long time--even turned me onto some music I might not otherwise have heard. He always wanted to relocate to Alaska. Thus far, he hasn't made it.
Then, after seeing the movie, I spent a few days with a group of students and their teachers from Alaska. They were delightful people, yet when I brought up Chris McCandless, they referred to him as, essentially, nuts. That didn't surprise me much. Indeed, it's an irony: We live in a country that proclaims individualism, yet when one pursues his own path--look at even the well-known like Thoreau--they're condemned for it. "Conventional thinking" is that one is to pursue a lifestyle of comfort and consumption. That's why we go to school, right?
Anyway, when I finished the book, I envied first the author. He's one of the best writers of today. But I also envied McCandless. What? Envying a dead man? Well, we're all going to die some day. Some will do it without having lived--to paraphrase Thoreau. Chris lived before he died. Maybe a little naively, but he lived. That's truly enviable.
It was so long ago that I read the book that I need to read it again, or listen to the recorded version. Frankly, I recall that the author did a little speculation in the book. How much, for example, did Chris's parents' relationship have to do with his behavior? I repeat, the author speculated. In the film, Penn had Chris's sister self-reflecting a lot, and that's where the speculation took place. (And Chris's relationship with his sister in the film seemed a little peculiar. But I'll let you watch and see if you agree or not.) And in the film, it came across as assertion rather than speculation. That's the only weakness of the film.
The film, other than that, was quite accurate to the book. McCandless took off on his own, essentially cut all ties to his "past," including getting rid of a lot of money that could have made his pursuit less valid. Emile Hirsch looks uncannily like McCandless. And the over 100 lbs. that he lost for the role--incredible!
I thought the rest of the casting of the film was superb. Some of the roles were chanced into, but that made the film all the more realistic. And I thought William Hurt and Marcia Gay Harden were spectacular as Chris's parents, their own self doubts and passions exposed in both expressions and behavior.
What motivated McCandless? We can only speculate. Did he make some mistakes? Yes, as would any of us.
Might we learn something from him? Most definitely! Like in the book, Chris's notes were an integral part of the film's script. I'm so tempted to list them here, but that would give away an important element of the film.
The additional disk in this version of the DVD also gives you a little to think about, on the characters, the production. And it's not a self-aggrandizing extravanza as many of the "bonus materials" are.
Anyway, my thanks to Sean Penn for making a fine film out of one of the better books I've ever read, about a "great American." No, Chris McCandless didn't write declarations. He didn't write bestsellers. He didn't make long speeches about himself. But he pursued something he was compelled to do. I wish more of us had the guts to do so.
Rest in peace, Chris.
Rating:  - Terrible !
I read this book about 3 years ago and one rainy Saturday I decided to watch the movie. IT WAS AWFUL ! This movie is ssoooooo sloowwwww I almost fell asleep.
Don't lose 2 1/2 hours of your life on this one.
Rating: - Sorta
After hearing a lot of buzz about the movie, I finally got around to watching it the other night. Though I think it could have been trimmed a little bit for length and pacing, I did find it to be a well made movie with some great work by Emile in his role as Christopher. Emile is quite the young actor, in the roles I have seen him in he seems to be very chameleon like. His characters are always very diverse and he really seems to get into his role. This movie is no different. By the movie's tragic end, he has gotten himself so skinny, it is uncomfortable to watch. The Eddie Vedder soundtrack is great and perfect for this movie with the call of nature and hippie characters. What you get out of the movie will come from how you perceive Christopher. He is either a caring optimist with bad parents who wants to embrace the beauty of nature and reject the evils of civilization. Or you may see him as an arrogant, spoiled rich kid who throws everything away for some unrealistic goal that he is unprepared for. I thought it was a good movie based on a great book.
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